Back Up
by Moonlight Snowflake
Summary: Life was perfect for a miss Annabella Hightopp, great friends, great family and being born with her mothers curiousness, her fathers imagination and the fact of living in a place like Underland, every day was a new adventure for her. But the greatest adventure for her would begin in a very different location. Family's unite, secrets are discovered, who can you trust.
1. Chapter 1

Back Up

**( Before we start I would just like to say I am new to this website and if you have a hard time imagining some things I have put some things in bold to help, please review, I like others ideas and I am open to them so let us start. After 3 years in trade Alice returned to Underland and became part of the queen's court, I am going to make a story about that later, but she would wed Tarrant and then have a child herself and this is story is about her mainly)**

Chapter 1: Dress Problems

Life was perfect for a miss Annabella Hightopp, great friends, great family and being born with her mothers curiousness, her fathers imagination and the fact of living in a place like Underland, every day was a new adventure for her. But the greatest adventure for her would be in a very different location.

12 year old Annabella woke up this morning with a most chipper of faces that might just give envy to her Uncle Chess. That was because today was actually when she was to see him as well as Uncle Thackery, Aunt Mally, and the Tweedles for a tea party, down by Thackeray's windmill. Annabella lived in the white castle with her mother, father, her friend Lily and her mother the White Queen. Mother was the queens champion, friend, and most trusted advisory. Father was the royal hatter and one of her other advisers.

Annabella did indeed love the white castle and the people inside it. In fact the queen was her godmother and Lily, who was just two years younger than her, was her best friend, but even though Annabella admired the kindness and sweetness of her godmother, her visits to her fathers friends were always fun and mad that you never knew what someone would say or do and if their was one thing Annabella loved was things that were fun, creative and just well, mad. Hey she is the mad hatter's daughter right. With a yawn, little Anna hopped out of the bed and clumsy walked toward the wardrobe while blinking, trying to get the sleep out of both her legs and eyes. Now fully awake she opened the wardrobe door and picked out a green and purple hatter dress. Anna had two types of dresses her hatter dresses and old home dresses. Her old home dresses were long so that they reaches her ankles and usually had lots of lace on them. **(Imagine something like the women at the engagement party in beginning of the movie would wear)** she called them that because her mother said women from her old home would wear them. Her hatter dresses were puffy like the old home dresses were but shorter and would reach to her knees or a few inches lower than that, always colorful and always had a matching headband with a mini top hat on top. **(Imagine something similar to the Madeline Hatter dress from Ever After High)** Anna gave them their name because her father said that girls from the Hightopp hatter clan would wear them. Annabella usually preferred them over the old home ones because they seemed to have more energy to them and made it easier to run or walk. Annabella decided on a hatter dress with dark green bodice with matching stockings with a dark purple skirt and short sleeves. She slipped on her dark green flat shoes, smoothed the small gold buttons on her skirt and put on the matching gold, green, and purple hat headband. Annabella went to her gold vanity and tried to brush her hair. Annabella had thick, curly red hair that reached past her shoulders with a slight trace of blonde in it. **(If you are having a hard time imagining what she would** **look like, imagine Felicity from the Felicity:American Girl Adventure)**. With one more look of herself with emerald eyes shining, Anna hopped up and reached toward the door. But before she could turn the doorknob, it turned on it's own, the door opened to find her father on the other side. He seemed to have a dim and grayish tone to his usually bright eyes. The hatter looked up at her with a small smile that slowly dimmed back down.

"Daddy is everything alright" said Annabella.

"Oh yes dear I'm fine" the madman said to his daughter.

"Well if you are sure, is mommy ready so we can go to the tea party"?

Actually the tea party is going to be here and our friends should be here momentarily".

Anna's eyes lit up "really".

"Yes but for today,could you wear one of your longer dresses ?"

"Oh okay".

"Thank you dear".

Her father left her to change into something else and as Annabella went back towards the wardrobe she couldn't help but feel upset over it, but why did it bother her so much, it was just a dress, but why would her father who usually loved seeing his daughter in a hatter dress rather than an old home dress, want her to change. But it was just a dress after all so she tried to shrug it off as she slipped on a pale yellow old home dress with a floral pattern embroidered on the bodice, slipped on matching gloves and stockings and a pale yellow sun hat with a ribbon to tie under the chin with fake flowers sew on to the side. **(look** **up victorian era sunhat on google images for a better idea of how it would look)** Then put on some white shoes then slipped outside her room to the hall.

Hatter POV

When he walked into the room to see his little girl in one of what she called a hatter dress, he couldn't help but smile, she looked so much like her mother yet still reminded him of himself but mostly a lot of his little sister, Maggie was such a sweet soul yet still knew how to get into just enough trouble. She did not deserve to have her life cut so short, but when he saw Annabella with her face in utter happiness, or whenever she got into trouble but still managed to come out clean or even when she just wore a hatter dress, he knew that his sister's spirit lived in Anna. That was why he hated telling her to change, Anna did like the other dresses but she always seemed the more spirited in the hatter dresses plus he didn't want Anna to think she disappointed him over it, but it was one of those few days in the year that Alice needed his help and if having all of her friends together and seeing her daughter in that dress would work, it was worth it, he just hoped the plan would work.

"Tarrant"

The hatter turned around and their before him was the White Queen

"Mirana" said the hatter trying to rid himself of the shock, "How is she"?

The queen gave a small smile, "still depressed, but I'm sure this will cheer her up"

"I sure hope so, but I'm more concerned on if Annabella will suspect anything, she is quite clever for her age"

The queen shrugged her hand, "Anna and Lily will be too caught up in riddles and rhymes to notice the true reason for this party".

"I do hope so Mirana for both her and Alice's sake"


	2. Chapter 2:Riddles,Rhymes and Wrong Words

**(I HAVE A FAN WOW, sorry, this is just my first piece of published work and with this movie being 4 years old and me being so late in the game I was shocked to get such a positive review on the FIRST DAY, I was preparing for flames but now Day Dreamer201 has given me confidence THANK YOU and I hope many others will review as well.)**

Chapter 2: Riddles, Rhymes, and Wrong Words

Annabella ran down the hall, or at least tried to without tripping on her dress then stopped to find that indeed the normal breakfast table was empty then went to the gardens to find a long white tea-table covered with a white tablecloth embroidered with silver floral patterns and decorated with pure white porcelain tea pots, cups, saucers, plates and bowls and silverware on clean, white, cloth napkins. Seated at the front of the table was the regal White Queen with Lily on her left and Alice on her right along with Thackeray and Cheshire.

"Ah Annabella, we waited for you" Mirana said in a regal tone "please my dear sit down so we may begin".

Annabella smoothed out her dress and walked quickly to the table in a seat between Lily and her father, trying not to look scared. Anna didn't know why, but her godmother could indeed intimidate her sometimes without yelling or raising her voice or even talking stern. These were the times when the queen wasn't being mean or sweet, just regale, when talking in a toneless voice like that, she showed herself as the queen, the strong monarch. But why was she talking like that, there was no sense of hate in her voice, but no kindness either, just leaving a cold feeling of nervousness inside her god-daughter, maybe there was something on her mind.

Once Annabella sat down the silence still stayed, "would the entire meal be this awkward", Anna thought. She looked to her left to see Lily smiling so innocently at her. **(Take Elizabeth Cole from Felicity: An American Girl Adventure, you have Lily).** She looked to her right to see her father giving her a reassuring smile as if he knew what she was thinking. Then there was the ring of a bell, Anna turned to see the White Queen putting down a silver bell and seeing at least ten servants putting down silver trays of food on the barren parts of the table as well as silver pitchers, silver butter trays and small silver bowls filled with jam.

"Oh my" said Mally in a cheerful tone "please say that is strawberry jam, that's my favorite"

Mirana chuckled "indeed it is my dear dormouse, I have been and hosted several tea parties in my life but never one for breakfast time, now I see I missed out, please my friends eat, drink, enjoy".

Annabella began to relax, her godmother was talking in a more kind voice now and best of all the rest of the guest started to relax too and the madness would soon begin.

The guests began to eat with Cheshire taking a raspberry tart and sipping on a cup of milk, Annabella introducing a pancake drowned in syrup to her mouth, the queen and princess eating fruit parfait, Tarrent having a tart to go along with his tea and the March Hare himself staking a small tower of toast together and covering it in jam.

"Hey" screamed Mally, "stop taking all the jam".

The March Hare ignored her and continued to paste jam on to his toast tower singing "painting the toast red, painting the toast red"

The Hatter chuckled at this then took one of the other jam bowls and placed a big glob of it on to a saucer. " Here you go Mally" said the hatter pushing the saucer towards her, "don't want old Thackeray going home without an eye do we"?

Mally didn't answer and just helped herself to jam. Chess then looked up from his milk and to get the attention of the crowd, began a riddle.

"Ahem" the cat said grabbing the full attention of the crowd, excluding Thackeray, "Riddle me this", Chess then pointed at Mally making jam angles on her saucer, "if the mouse must have her jam, shouldn't the house have it's jelly?"

Annabella giggle then answered "why of course" all eyes were on her. "Because if love does fill the heart, than food should fill the belly".

Tarrant began to understand and continued with the game, "but what if the love is only slightly spreaded to the heart like butter to toast ?"

Annabella had a smirk on her now, "then only the hat with the most feathers has the right to boast".

"Oh let me do one, let me do one" Lily begged raising her hand.

"Lily", said her mother, "a princess is polite and does not speak out"

"sorry mommy" said the little princess, "may I please do one ?"

The two HIghtopps chuckled, "how about we go in a circle with it" said Anna

"Okay" answered Lily "just let me think of one, hmmm, okay okay I got one, "if to be free and graceful is what it means to be a royal of white," Lily began to blush, "then why must the white corset always be tight ?"

Miroana started to blush as badly as her daughter now realising it was her turn, she thought for a second, cleared her throat an opened her mouth to speak. "so when the royal shall dance with graceful takes", Mirana started to smile at her daughter, "the crowd does not know of the royal's love of cakes". Lily laughed her loudest after that line with a table of guests following the same suit. Once the laughing died down, Mirana cleared her throat again and turned to her left.

"Alice dear, it's your turn"

Alice looked up from her oatmeal and managed a weak smile, "oh I don't really feel like riddles, how about Thackeray go next", Alice turned to see the March Hare busy spreading the jam across the toast tower still singing, "painting the toast red, painting the toast red"

To try and stop the awkwardness from beginning Annabella cleared her throat and said "let me try somthing" Anna cleared her throat again, but this time started humming to the tune and sang "oh pardon me, but Thackeray why must you paint it red ?"

This got the March Hare's attention and he stood up and said "because the jam has just enough right to the toast as the butter does", he then threw a nearby butter tray towards Anna which she barley dodged, only to look up and see him in a fit of giggles.

Lily's POV

Though Lily was told that Thackeray was always like that, she herself had rather not be part of his dishes target practice so she decided in ending the game by switching off to a different topic. Her mother told her that when in doubt, that flattery was never a bad thing so she looked up to Alice and got an idea.**(At the** **tea party, Alice is wearing the same dress and necklace from the engagement party)** "Miss Alice I couldn't help but notice what a pretty necklace you are wearing, where ever did you get it". The moment the words came from her mouth, Lily knew she said the wrong thing, the woman across from her looked like she was on the brink of tears.

Alice answered, "it was a gift from my mother", Alice choked, then she rose from her seat, "no disrespect Miroana, but I feel a little under the weather suddenly, please everyone enjoy the tea, but you must excuse me"

Alice ran down the hall and a few moments later the hatter spoke, "I'll go talk to her" he said in his calm voice before he too rose from his chair went down the hall.

Lily could only listen as the two people's footsteps against the polished marble floors slowly became softer and softer until they just stopped. What did she do wrong.

**(Yep I did it, I did a cartoon disney Alice in Wonderland reference and I regret nothing, though I doubt that most of you do not know what I'm talking about, just in case, Thackeray singing "painting the toast red" and Anna singing along was from a song called Painting the Roses Red from the disney cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland, go check it out, also I am actually amazed that though her mother gives her a necklace that it was never given value in the movie and hardly, next to none of the fanfics, but here, I wanted to give a little more value to it. Also before I go, I made those rhymes off the top of my head so please do not criticize them too badly , I'm not a professional riddleler.**


	3. Chapter 3: I'm Late I'm Late

I'M AM SOOOOOOOO SORRY ABOUT THE LACK OF UPDATES but my class decided on sending us to my country's capital Washington D.C and the schedule is the fullest schedule I have had. I will be here for the week but if I do end up getting some time to finish up my next chapter I will upload it as soon as POSSIBLE. On a different note, where I am right now, the moon is showing a rather familiar grin look on it, I hear by pronounce this time in the moon cycle every month as Cheshire night, and speaking of that grinning cat, he plays a main part in the next chapter sooooooooo YAY FOR CHESS 


	4. Chapter 4: Need Explanations

**(I am soooooooooooooooooo touched at your reviews and Is, I have just came home from my nations capital and I am EXHAUSTED, when writing this chapter I was adding MUCH more stuff to the fact that it will be separated into 2 chapters, so I now have this chapter PLUS half another chapter finished. but now we will be introduced to a different trait in Annabella and PLEASE don't think her a Mary Sue after this, it will be explained in the story here's a hint to it, the Cheshire Cat is the one that explains it. Plus we finally will understand why Alice is so upset. sort of)**

**Chapter 3: Need Of An Explanation**

There it was again, that awkward silence that covered the tea-table, and Annabella hated it. She looked to her right at the empty seat of where her father was a mere moments ago, then turned to Lily. Anna could almost feel the specks of light orange that was showing in her eyes because she couldn't help but feel upset towards Lily. She remembered the look of sadness in her mother's eyes as her own went from orange specks to light indigo specks of confusion mixing into the green. When she looked at Lily, Lily did not meet her eyes but to the ground in shame, that was what extinguished the little flicker of anger that turned into concerned confusion. "Lily didn't mean to do it" Anna thought, "but then again what _did_ she do anyway".

Though only 12, Annabella Hightopp was very smart for her age and knew that asking anyone here, whether they knew or not, would only result in Miroana saying simply that it was none of their business and Anna knew that asking to be excused for whatever reason would end up causing suspicion and an escort to go with her to make sure she didn't poke her nose where it didn't belong. Remember, Underland was ruled by a beautiful, kind, but certainly NOT stupid queen. Anna would need a well thought out plan and she may have found it.

"Well" said the March Hare, "That happened".

After another few moments, Annabella started by saying, "please pass the teapot". Chess took the teapot, evaporated, then reappeared towards Anna while pouring the brown, steamy liquid into her clean cup. The cat went back to his seat as Anna thanked him and begin to set her plan in motion, as she reached for the cup she only needed to move her arm a little more forcefully to the left and…..

"HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT TEA, HOT TEA" screeched Lily about the tea stain covering most of her once white bodice.

"OH MY TOP HAT LILY I'M SO SORRY", said her friend, "Let me take you to my room to help get you cleaned up", Anna started to take the princess's hand.

Mirwana began to speak, "Oh dear, I will call for a maid and then…"

"OH NO god-mother, this was my fault, I should get the stain out on my own and plus I think I have just the solution to fix this in my bathroom"

"But", the queen began.

But before she could say another word Annabella grabbed Lily's hand a ran down the hall, saying "quick, before it sets in".

Lily's POV

Lily was many things, a princess, a god sister, gullible, naive, but also very forgiving, it wasn't Anna's fault the tea spilled and by this time the stinging was starting to ease, and even if her friend did it on purpose, she still wouldn't blame her, she made her friend's mother almost cry and run away.

But as Lily was thinking this she began to notice that she and Annabella were walking much more slowly and softly and that they did not seem to be heading towards Annabella's room.

"Uh Anna, where are we going"

Annabella's POV

"Curse these shoes", Anna thought, "if I had my flats, I could go a lot faster". Annabella wanted to run so badly, but these heeled shoes across the pale marble floor would surely be heard across the castle. With Lily shrugging behind her, the red-headed girl had finally reached the hall where her parents room was. "Uh Anna, where are we going"? "Shh, I'm listening.

"But why are we here" Annabella was starting to get frustrated with her friend as her eyes began to turn orange "So I can hear what my mother is upset about after you made her cry" Anna hissed. "I didn't mean to" whispered a small Lily choking back a sob. This made Annabella come back to her senses because although she knew she couldn't blame Lily, just the look in her mother's eyes said something was wrong and it felt like fate was doing everything in it's power to keep Annabella from reaching her goal. It was really frustrating, Anna began to wish she lived in a time in Underland where eavesdropping wasn't so difficult.

"I'm sorry Lily, I know it's not your fault but either way something has mummy upset and I need to find out what it is".

Lily nodded, though only 10, Lily was told and remembered that a Hightopps' emotions could be altered drastically so she was to show more patience with Annabella but emotion breaks were rare and spiteful words were usually the worst Anna could get.

Lily gave a sweet smile "Oh Anna I understand, this is something you need to worry about and I…."

"Shhhhh, were here"

It was true the pair of girls were just outside the royal hatter's and the champions door at the end of the hall beside a large window with thick, white, velvet curtains opened to bring in the morning sunlight.

"Wait here" whispered Anna as she began to tiptoe to the crack in the door and listened, she heard a voice, a soft, gentle, feminine voice, the voice of her mother.

"Don't worry about it, i'm sure it will go away, I just a little home sick"

"Home sick ?" Anna thought, "I think our home is quite nice, what's there to be sick about, sure it's a little plain with one color, but Underland is full of colors, maybe tea would have been better at Thackery's, windmill."

The red-head listened more closely and thought she heard a sigh then the voice of her father.

"If your alright Alice, are you ready to go back, I mean if you want?"

"Sure, and by the way I believe Annabella has a gift in riddle's"

The hatter chuckled, "Well she learned from the best"

"Oh really, who, someone we've met"

Anna tried to hold back the laugh as she could practically picture the smirk on her mummy's face and the annoyed frown on her father's. But held back giggles and giant smiles were soon replaced with wide eyes full of fear as she started to hear footsteps coming towards the door. The 9-year-old dashed to behind the curtain as the footsteps got louder and louder so did her heart so much that Annabella feared she would be caught but her heart slowed down as the footsteps became fainter. After another few moments Annabella peered from behind the curtain seeing that the close was clear she went towards the other curtain towards Lily.

"Hey Lily it's safe to come out now"

Lily cautiously came out from behind her curtain. "Oh good, did you find your answer"

Annabella looked down to her feet, "I don't know, I might have". She then realised something and grabbed Lily's hand. "Come on, they'll be expecting us soon".

Halfway down the hall Lily remembered something herself and with as much strength she could muster, stopped Annabella.

"Come on Lily, we have to hurry"

Lily sighed and put Anna's hand to her bodice, "are we not forgetting something".

Her friends eyes widened, "oh no, how are we going to get THAT out"

"Well we could always, you know…." Lily began.

Anna's eyes filled once again with fear, "oh no, there's got to be another way, we could…., no, or we could…., no" Though she so did not want to, Annabella knew what needed to be done, she sighed, "alright, just hold still".

Chess's POV

It had only been a few moments ago that the youngest Hightopp left with a distressed princess to "supposidley" get out a stain that Annabella "accidently" caused. Chess knew the White Queen was no fool and supposed she was trying to deny herself that her god-daughter would soon find out the truth, the truth about her mother, the truth about her family, and the truth about her powers.

Poor Mirwana was trying to smooth out the silence with small talk, luckily McTwisp was hopping by, earning him a seat with everyone else giving a new topic for the Queen to discuss with everyone till the Hightopp family and her daughter returned. Chess decided to stay within his thoughts till they returned most directly on Annabella. Chess couldn't help but give a small and give an almost silent chuckle when thinking about the stunt she pulled, she definitely had her mother's quick wit and nose for trouble, it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. The grinning cat remembered a day he was taking a stroll through the gardens till he heard little 5-year-old Annabella talking with her mother, being the mischievous cat that he is, he made himself invisible and listened, after all, it might be something important right.

There on the bench was the small child that looked straight up towards her mother's eyes and spoke.

"Mummy, why am I like this?"

Alice smiled, "because your special sweetheart".

Chess remembered that day, because it was one of the few days he frowned, for Alice to make such a cheap excuse was shameful, they all knew the child deserved the truth and they all knew that it was wrong to lie to her, but it hurt Chess most of all because he didn't just know about her talent, he understood it.

Compared to the world above, Underland could very well be deemed magical and you weren't half wrong. In Underland magic does exist but it can only be _obtained_, only the rarest few were ever _born_ with their abilities, Chess was one of them. As a kitten, Chess remembered wanting to hear the story plenty of times, when his parents met, for they were the key to his powers.

**(So much to explain and so little time, after this chapter I could guess the number one question is WHAT, I know this needs to be explained, but that's the great thing about a cliff hanger, keeping the reader guessing, now if you will excuse me, I need to help Thack paint the toast red, and just in case of copyright blah blah I DO NOT OWN ALICE IN WONDERLAND ALL CREDIT GOES TO LEWIS CARROL AND TIM BURTON I ONLY OWN ANNABELLA.)**


	5. Chapter 5: Why Me

Chapter 5: WHY ME

**(I'm back and I CAN EXPLAIN I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SINCERELY SORRY FOR THIS WAIT, I AM LUCKY TO HAVE FANS AND FOLLOWERS AND SHOULD NOT HAVE DISAPPOINTED YOU BUT I PROMISE I HAVE AN EXPLANATION, you see I was first planning to wait three days to get fans excited for the next one but during those three days I was given a new chapter in Social Studies to learn, review, and then test, a week to prepare a presentation for Language Arts plus a new unit in Math, and a science project due after spring break not to mention that I have a chorus concert so here I am late at night trying to gain back your trust in me but believe me when I say I feel DREADFUL, but on the bright side I am now on SPRING BREAK, hopefully I can have time for my story but like Annabella I FEEL AS IF FATE IS DOING EVERYTHING IN IT'S POWER TO STOP ME FROM ACHIEVING but I am TRULY SORRY and hopefully you will have a new chapter tomorrow)**


	6. Chapter 6: A Catty Begining

**(HAPPY LATE EASTER I know I said I would try to have something Saturday but my weekend consited of egg dying, baking and celebrating Easter so I couldn't find the time, but the point is it is HERE and the next one WILL be here by TOMORROW so here we go)**

Many Years Ago

His mother was a beautiful gray haired cat with silver eyes named Moonlight , she was a stray with a spirit for adventure, so when seeing a small young rabbit in a small little waste-coat hopping along, her first instinct was to follow it. His mother was fast and graceful and very determined, she chased the child rabbit down a hole avoiding things such as pianos, beds, clocks etc. When reaching the bottom she continued to chase the rabbit outside. Chess's father Bluewell was on a search party with a frantic Elven McTwisp.

"Oh dear, how will we ever find him Bluewell"

"Oh please, calm yourself Elven, you'll give yourself a panic attack, we'll find him."

"Oh you just do not understand, when you have a child, you always worry about them ALWAYS."

The blue cat laughed, "before you have a child, you must find love and I do indeed fear there is no one out there for me old friend."

Before the rabbit could comment, cries of help could be heard from behind the giant Tum Tum tree.

"HELP, HELP, HELP ME, SHE'S GOING TO EAT ME".

"NIVENS, HOLD ON" screamed Elven.

Bluewell ran with Elven to find the young Nivens McTwisp being chased by the most beautiful feline he had ever seen, he however only was able to admire the stranger for a minute before he realized that he needed to get her away from the child.

Moonlight was too determined on catching up with the rabbit that she completely ignored her surroundings, life as a stray taught her to keep her eyes on the prize, Moonlight didn't want to hurt the poor thing, on the contrary, she wanted to help it. The only explanation the feline could think of for an animal to be in any form of human clothing were if it was owned by a human. But there were no humans out today, the park was empty, maybe the child had gotten lost. Because of being a stray, Moonlight memorized over half of London's twists and turns, and if she could find the rabbit's owner, maybe they would take pity on her and adopt her, that's all Moonlight had ever wanted, was a place to belong. But as she was just about to grab the child, a paw clawed at her face and there in front of her was a pure blue cat with beautiful, bright, aqua blue eyes, but handsome eyes aside, he had attacked her and a fight was to begin.

Bluewell didn't want to claw at her but she was the one chasing Nivens so he had to distract her. Once he had clawed her cheek she slashed at his back. The silver cat was very petite but what she lacked in size she made up for in speed and grace, this cat was very quick on her feet, Bluewell could easily assume this wasn't her first fight. As he tried to leap on her, she quickly ran away back towards his side to slash again. After a good twenty minutes, Bluewell was able to grab a near rock and before her claws could touch skin, her head met the rock and the beautiful stranger became peaceful.

Moonlight woke up in a dim, dark room with a chain around her neck. "Where am I" she commanded, "answer me".

"Oh good, your awake", the silver cat looked up to see what looked like a giant chess piece, open the gate, grab her chain like a leash and drag her out. "I was told to bring you to the king, the minute you awoke". A king, was she getting adopted by royalty, if so then why was she in chains, nothing was making any sense to the silver feline. Moonlight found herself being put in what looked like a throne room with a human man with the palest hair and face Moonlight had ever seen, but also in the most regal attire she had ever seen either. To the human's left she saw the small rabbit looking at her with fear, as if afraid she would break out of the chains and attack at any moment. Next to him was a larger rabbit that seemed to be the small one's father looking at her with cold red glares and next to him was the cat that attacked her, his face was unreadable, it was then, Moonlight realized, this was not adoption, this was trouble.

"Whats going on here?" begged Moonlight

The pale man rose from the throne and began to speak, "you my dear are being prosecuted for assault and attempt at murder"

Moonlight's eyes grew wide, had a human just _answer her,_ only animals could talk to other animals, but how did the human answer her. "You can understand me?"

"Oh Ho" said the large rabbit, "we can also see you as well, just as we saw you try to hurt my dear son"

"Wait WHAT, THAT'S NOT TRUE"

The King spoke "would the victim like to explain what has happened."

The small one began to speak. "Well you see your highness I was just, I mean I meant to, well I..." the rabbit studdered.

The king gave a warm smile, "my dear boy this is not your trial, you will not be punished for what you say, please, we only seek the truth"

The young Nivens nodded, "I was only trying to practice portal jumping, so I made a rabbit hole and went through and I felt I had nothing to fear, I was being extra careful, but then I heard a sound", Nivens started to get more fearful.

"And what happened next Nivens", the king said.

Nivens turned to Moonlight with fear in his eyes, as if he was telling on a bully at school to the teacher.

"Nivens" the king began, "do not look at her, only me, everything is alright"

The small rabbit gave a soft smile to the king and began to speak again. "I turned around and SHE POUNCED AT ME, I RAN AS FAST AS I COULD AND WENT DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE CRYING FOR PAPA ALL THE WAY DOWN I DON'T KNOW WHY SHE CHASED ME" Nivens took deep breaths to try and calm down. "But then Bluewell and the gray cat fought, while fighting, papa took me home".

"You see your highness", Elven began, "she chased my son for no reason trying to KILL him, I DEMAND she be punished".

"Now now, Elven, I understand Niven's side of the story but not the other side, go on my dear, tell us what happened in your eyes".

Moonlight took a deep breath, she was usually good at talking her way out of trouble, she needed to tell the truth but without studdering and with full belief in her voice.

"Well your highness, all I was doing was walking around Coralo Park, it was early in the morning with no one around, I like to go for peace and quiet you see, but then I saw a small young rabbit in a waste-coat that I had never seen before." Moonlight spoke as if she was telling a story, trying to be as dramatic as possible.

"The most logical answer that came to mind was that the poor child was lost and I myself know most twists and turns, and every nook and cranny of London put it upon myself to leap in front of the child, introduce myself, and help the poor dear home."

Her plan seemed to be working, Bluewell looked impressed at her claim of knowing London so well, the king was with interest and little Nivens looked much less fearful, looking more believably that this stranger truly cared for him.

"But alas the child leaped away, I couldn't just let a lost, young rabbit run around and maybe hurting itself so I chased after it" Moonlight said trying to look as innocent as she could.

"Suddenly, right before I could catch up with the small creature, I felt sharp claws cutting upon my skin, I had to defend myself, for a while we stayed at it, leaping, scratching and dodging until SUDDENLY, everything... went... black."

Bluewell suddenly felt ashamed by what he did, this perfectly wonderful feline was only trying to help a lost child and ended up being scratched, imprisoned, and now prosecuted for her good deed.

The king's face was unreadable, he stood up and said "I must think through all of this, no one leave, I will be but a moment".

Though less than 10 minutes, it felt like hours, Moonlight had belief in her claim, but as every moment passed, another bit of her confidence had dwindled down to a pitiful speck of false hope.

"Just you wait" Elven began, "once the king gets back, it will be off with your head"

"ELVEN Enough" Bluewell spat, Elven was shocked to hear his friend in such a harsh tone, but Moonlight had other things on her mind, it was clear a crystal that this place was not her London and while trying to recall the fight, she could remember blurs of different colors, in this place it very well could be off with her head.

At last the king returned with a bright and warm smile, he turned to Moonlight, "my dear, what you said is true, you are INNOCENT" the king proclaimed"

"WHAT" screeched Elven.

"But not just that" said the king ignoring the rabbit. "Bluewell stated on your excellent fighting and it was only by the dumb luck of a nearby rock that he defeated you, Bluewell is one of my finest guards and spy's, what I am trying to say my dear is that I would like you to become one of my guards in training if you want to that is."

Moonlight was speechless, she wasn't just going to keep her head but have a home and place of authority with it. "Your majesty, I would be honored".

"Excellent, you can begin training in two days, but for now we must obtain you a room, and a tour of Underland and..."

"I'LL DO IT" said the aqua blue cat, "I mean I would be happy to give our friend a tour"

"Wonderful, trial is FINISHED" the king declared.

The king walked out with a frantic Elven trying to dissuade him with Nivens silently following his father leaving only the two cats in the room.

"Well shall we begin "

"Oh it's just Bluewell" said the male beginning to blush.

"Well Just Bluewell, you may call me Moonlight".

"Moonlight" Bluewell breathed.

**(Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh are they NOT adorable, I am hoping to give these two a fanfic of their very own after I finished this one, and I did it again, there was supposed to be sooooooooooo much more in this one but there was to much stuff for one chapter to handle so the next chapter will also be flashback but atleast we get some backstory on Chess and his origins, but DON'T WORRY the MAIN FOCUS IN THIS STORY WILL STILL BE ON ANNABELLA)**


	7. Chapter 7: A Chess's Great Grin

**(PLEASE READ THIS IT IS IMPORTANT, so my fellow fans I must tell you something, I AM ON A MISSION a fan mission, to make another movie I indeed love into a classic and I NEED YOUR HELP in three simple steps. **

**1. Go watch the Tim Burton movie "9" here is the link : watch?v=7hhus4Ejs4I don't worry IT IS IN ENGLISH**

**2. Look up Fanfictions, Deviantart stuff etc on the movie**

**3. SPREAD THE WORD I LOVE THIS FANDOM JUST AS MUCH AS I LOVE THIS ONE SOOOOOO PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD**

**Now Let The Chapter Begin**

Chess's POV

What took Chess away from his nostalgia was in fact the White Queen herself.

"Chess are you listening to me?"

"Huh oh, please forgive me your majesty but I seemed to have had my thoughts put me a drift."

The queen nodded. "I see, and what thoughts put your head to drift if you do not mind me saying?"

"Oh course not your majesty, I was actually thinking about the stories I was told in my youth"

"You were indeed a mischievous one the first time we met and a magnificent Chess player"

The others were beginning to become with interest on the conversation. "That sounds like a interesting story to tell" exclaimed Mally, "may we hear it".

The striped cat chuckled, "well we have nothing better to do so why not, you see I was still a small kitten at the time and my parents still had not come up with a name but they had bigger troubles to worry about, you see I was still trying to adapt to my abilities and you could say my parents were less than excited so I was taken to the king so that answers could be found and that is were the story shall begin.

Many Years Ago

"Don't worry Moonlight, the king will know an answer"

"Bluewell I know that things here are a little stranger than London but this is just plain CRAZY"

"Yes I know, but soon the truth shall be shown"

Moonlight looked at the small ball of gray and blue fur laying on top of his fathers back, "and don't you go anywhere alright", the small kitten just blinked at it's mother and Moonlight had no choice than to take that as a yes. When the king heard of the child's powers he told his knights to escort the family to his library.

"Well then, let's see the young thing" the king exclaimed, but as he reached his arms out the take the kitten, it evaporated then reappeared on top of his head. "So that is your power, and from the way you use it, you are most definitely your father's son" the White King chuckled. "Now lets just put you right there and we may begin" he said as he placed the child from his head to a soft chair.

"But before we do", he turned towards the guards, "this is a private affair, you gentlemen may leave".

The guardsmen didn't want to leave but this was their king and they were to follow his commands. Once the guards had left the king went to the bookcase next to the fireplace and looked ready to pull out a nearby blue book but as soon as he pulled at it, the fire in the fireplace went out and moved out of the way to show a hidden passageway.

"Come with me" the king said as he, Bluewell and Moonlight headed towards the entrance, as the young kitten was about to follow, he could hear footsteps walking outside in the hallway, the small feline quickly decided to follow the voices, unaware of the closed passageway and now once again lit fireplace, giving more heat to the room he just walked out of.

"I brought us some snacks Iracabeth" said a young 8 year old princess holding a tray **(****Just imagine a lighter haired Lily),** "now we can finish our game".

"One, Mirwana we have servants for that and two, this is NOT a game THIS is a battle of wits and strategy" said 12 year old red princess **(Imagine Lindsay Lohan when she was in the Parent Trap)**

Her sister merely chuckled, "I know Bethie, but calling it a game makes it more fun and easier to focus on, here's your smoothie, cherry and strawberry right ?"

"My, my it seems my little sister does have something in her head, alright then, tell what the scores are".

"Well I have your rook and your bishop and you have two of my pawns, my rook and my knight and oh hello kitty"

"What are you talking about there is no, oh well there is, hello there"

The striped kitten crawled into the room then walked up and jumped into Iracabeth's lap as Mirwana got from her chair, got on her knees by her sister's chair and began petting it along with her sister.

"Well indeed you_ are _a cute thing aren't you" said the red princess stroking the creatures back, "and I do love animals", Iracabeth turned to Mirwana, "but cuteness aside, it looks like I may have this game for the winning don't I sister dear".

"AHHHHHHHHH"

"GOOD GRACIOUS WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU"

"THE KITTY CAT VANISHED"

"What are taking about, he's right..." but indeed the cat had gone.

"Look Iracabeth, here he is" said Mirwana placing the kitten from her chair to the floor, "and look, he moved my place".

"Well then, I guess it's my turn", but before she could move, the kitten once again appeared and moved for her.

Both the princess's eyes turned as wide as tea saucers, "HOW DID HE DO THAT" screeched the younger of the princesses, "more importantly, how did he know where I was planning to move" replied the older.

The sisters looked at each other then Iracabeth began to speak again, " let me try something, well Mirwana I GUESS IT'S YOUR TURN TO MOVE". The cat reappeared at Mirwana's side and moved for her.

"WOW, we have a magic chess playing cat"

"Indeed we do Mirwana, looks like the game just got a little more _interesting."_

The game ended up a draw with the kitten helping on both sides but they did more than just one game, in some games the kitten helped Mirwana and some games he helped Iracabeth, they even did a game with the sisters working _together_ to against the young feline, but the cat was always the victor.

"I can NOT believe this, I'm getting outsmarted by a CAT, and a YOUNG one at that" exclaimed the red princess, "you are indeed a worthy opponent kitty".

Suddenly the girls's father burst into the room with three guards and two adult cats with him, "GIRLS HAVE YOU SEEN A oh..."

"Why hello father, have you met our kitten friend" said the white princess.

"OH MY BEAMISH BOY" exclaimed Moonlight, "you had us worried sick".

"Oh he's your son, well if you don't mind me asking, but what is his name, he hasn't told us", said a young Iracabeth.

"Well he is still very young and I'm afraid we still haven't given him a name".

"Oh dear" said Mirwana, "but whatever his name will be, one thing is for certain, he loves Chess"

"That's for sure" followed her sister.

Moonlight's eyes seemed to brighten for she now realized her child's name, "Chess...Sure" she mumbled.

"Moonlight" said her husband in a rather worried tone. "Chess... Sure" she repeated. "Cheshire, that shall be his name, a name unlike any before him"

"Cheshire" Bluewell stated, "I LOVE it"

"Me too" said Mirwana, "me too" agreed her sister.

It was at that moment that Chess grinned, and grinned like never before. "Look", exclaimed Mirwana, "he's smiling"

"That's not just a smile dear sister, that is a grin, _A Cheshire Grin"_.

**(But you never guessed that Chess got his name from the sisters now did you, well that was a fun chapter, it was all planned right in my head and unless anything changes, I plan to make another chapter tomorrow and by the way READ THIS RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW VERY IMPORTANT, I myself am a fan of musicles, soooooooooooooooooo I was thinking of maybe putting in a song or two in this fic, I have a GREAT song I can picture Annabella singing, tell me weather or not you think it's a good idea and if SO, give a song you would like a character to sing and it might just make it into the story, this is Moonlight Snowflake signing off and here's an EXTRA SPECIAL LATE EASTER TREAT FOR YOU: watch?v=2ueZo5i6GPg) **


	8. Chapter 8: And Home

**(Helloooo my fellow AiW fans I AM SORRY FOR DELAY, had a busy day yesterday, hope you liked my last chapter but now back to the MAIN character of this fic and by the way, I AM NOW GOING TO INCLUDE SONGS SO PLEASE FILL ME WITH REQUESTS)**

"In the end I guess I owe my name and my grin to our lovely queen" said the grinning cat.

"Yes, yes", said Mally impatiently, "but what about afterwards, did they find the answer and when you went away from the secret passage what exactly DID happen then?"

"Well I do not really know the _details_ but basically the king told mum and dad what we already know"

"I DON'T KNOW" exclaimed Mally.

" You know, when an upperlander and an underlander fall in love the child develops a talent as a side effect as seen with Annabella".

"What about Annabella ?", every on turned around to find the Hightopp couple approaching the tea-table. "Oh nothing Alice dear" said the queen.

"WE'RE HERE,WE'RE HERE" said the red head trying not to trip on the marble floor practically _dragging_ a little blonde behind her, towards the tea-table and sitting down. The queen smiled looking at her daughter's once again white bodice with the sense of self-assurance that the little girls were indeed trying to get the stain out of Lily's bodice. "I see you got that stain out of Lily's dress" said the queen.

"Well believe me it wasn't easy OW" Lily screeched as her friend kicked her leg under the table.

"Yes Lily, it _was a hard stain wasn't it", _Annabella said through her teeth with her eye shade developing a more orange tone to it.

Annabella's POV

"Lily don't say anything stupid" Anna thought. "Oh no, think Anna think, I have to stop her". One hard kick later, "Yes Lily, it _was a hard stain wasn't it,_ though Lily wasn't thinking she was indeed right, it _wasn't_ easy.

14 minutes ago

"Alright just hold still", Annabella slowly traced to her neck where a silver chain hung and slowly pulled it over her head as she felt the small charm leave it's place on her chest inside her dress, the charm was actually just a circle but it wasn't the design that made this trinket special, it was the purple liquid inside the charm blocking out Annabella's magic as long as it was close enough to her body. She put the charm in her hand and began to stroke it with her thumb. Anna took a deep breath,"Okay, I'm ready". She put the necklace on the floor, and placed her hand on Lily's bodice. "Oh just get it over with okay".

"Hey your the one who suggested it now please, I'm trying to focus"

Anna was straining to keep it under control as a few sparks flew from her finger and yet after a few moments only an inch of brown became removed. "Come on Anna, you can do it". Anna was holding her breath and felt like the Jabberwocky himself was on her shoulders trying to use her as a seat cushion as she felt small beads of sweat forming on her brow with having less than a fourth of the stain out. "Just keep at it Anna" Lily continued. The Jabberwocky blood blocked out the Underlandian in her, not all of it but just enough to keep her powers in check but it also made it harder for Annabella to get angry, she usually could control it, but she was controlling anger that was mostly blocked out, not the natural temper inside her.

"I said I was trying to FOCUS", with that, sparks flew and in fact Lily's _skin_ turned _purple_. Anna gasps as she then panicked while Lily was still in a state of shock. "DON'T WORRY LILY, DON'T WORRY". As more sparks flew her skin became blue then pink then orange and at one time scaly. Lily now getting over shock grabbed Anna by the arms and said "ANNA, just calm down".

Anna was in a fit of tears, she had lost control _again_, she tried to calm down and thought of swans, doves, white roses, the hallway, her godmother, anything white. After another few minutes she opened up an eye and became shocked, the dress was _white, pure white_, not a speck of anything else. Anna allowed herself to finally breathed then spoke. "Good now let's go", she grabbed the necklace and was once again she was racing down the halls with a little princess trailing behind while trying to put the necklace back on.

Mirowana's POV

Now that everyone had returned the queen believed that perhaps now they could have a fantastic tea party that is untill one of the servants came forward to Mirwana. "Pardon me your majesty, I hate to impose but..." "oh dear you are not imposing, what is it?" "Well your majesty", he looked towards Lily then whispered something in the queens ear. "Oh yes that does need to be taken care of".

The queen stood up from her chair and looked towards the others, "I do apologize for cutting the party off so short but royal duties call, um Alice will you please come with me"

Alice followed the queen down the hall to her study while everyone left to go about their business, Annabella watched as her father was about to walked to his workshop to finish a hat for one of the ladies of court that was due tomorrow, he was making it for Louise, Annabella's and Alice's least favorite of the court, she was always so snobby, rude, inconsiderate and just awful.

"Are your coming to help my raven ?" the hatter asked, Annabella loved watching her father with his hats, in fact, half of Annabella's hats and dresses were made herself, but with the information she found out about, she needed time to think.

"No thank you daddy, today is such a nice day, I would rather take a walk if you don't mind"

Her father nodded, pleased with the explanation, "alright, but be back by tea time", "I will".

Hatter's POV

In his head, Tarrant was actually happy that Annabella wasn't going to be around, he wanted to make sure he was ready to be there for Alice at a moments notice, in case she went back into depression, it usually lasted about three days, then she would forget about it for a few months and tomorrow Annabella would be back in school so he had nothing to worry about, while walking to his workshop he allowed his thoughts to drift back to the talk they had moments ago.

35 minutes ago

"I'll go talk to her". The hatter walked towards their room but when he opened the door what he saw tortured him, there was Alice crying her eyes out with one hand trying to wipe away the tears and the other hand clutching the necklace she was wearing. Tarrant's eyes were becoming a grayish blue, we went towards her sitting down beside her, Alice gasp just now noticing another presence, "Tarrant I um well", "Alice what's wrong, you can tell me".

"I guess I'm just homesick"

"Well I quite like it, I mean sure white can get a little old but..."

"No I mean I'm sick_ for_ home".

"Last time I checked we were home, are we not in the right palace"

"I mean my old home"

The hatter was starting to catch on to the meaning, "but Alice you said you wanted to live here, you said no one understood you up there you said..."

"I know what I said and I'm not denying it, it's just that well..."

"What is it ?"

"I know my mother, sister and I didn't get along but that was before my father died, after that mother had no tolerance for my whimsical ideas and Margret followed her, but even though we disagreed I still love them, I wish they knew what became of me, I wish they saw Annabella, I wish we were home".

**(My first song is coming up)**

**"Home" from the musical Wonderland**

Music is playing as Alice tries to explain how she feels.

_"Home is not a place, an address that you memorize, it's more than four walls and a floor"_

Tarrant is listening closely to what Alice is trying to say

_"It's where you never feel lonely whenever you'r alone, that's how you know you are home"_

Alice goes to the window, _"How I wish that we could feel that, somehow, right now, how I wish that we could feel that again"_

Alice turns back to the hatter,_ "home is like a smile you see in a photograph, no matter what you do, it's not supposed to change"_

She looks down at her necklace,_ "why can't we all be together, the way we used to be, back on the ground, no more racing around"_

Tarrant puts his hand on Alice's and adds_ "here safe and sound"_

Alice finishes _"and home"._

"Alice if you really want to see them again, then go, I'm sure we can get McTwisp make a rabbit hole and keep it open for a few days and you can bring Annabella, I'm sure she would want to meet her family and the queen will surly give you a few days off and maybe they could come down here, but of course Mirwana would want to have a ball in their honor, but of course you could let them come to Princess Lily's birthday ball and..."

"HATTER"

"Thank You", the hatter said choking to get his voice back. "But you could do that".

"NO I CAN'T, I mean if I do, what if they don't believe me about Underland"

"Get proof, I'm sure a talking rabbit in a waste coat or a diapering cat would do the trick".

"But they could always deny it, they could try to make sure I stay, or take Annabella away, or lock me in an asylum, or believe me and get inspectors and scientists poking and prodding around London, or..."

"ALICE"

"Oh, thank you" she said sheepishly.

"I believe my bantering if attracting itself to you".

"I believe so, but no, I feel that it's best to keep the past in the past", she looked to see doubt in her hatter's eyes, "don't worry about it, I'm sure it'll go away I'm just a _little_ homesick.

**(This is what you call a explanation chapter, while looking at this story I had begun to notice that Lily was turning into JUST COMIC RELIEF so I have decided to give her a BIRTHDAY BALL in hope we can get more other than being the victim of comedy and NOW we know Annabella's power, while Chess's is changing himself whether color, shape, form and even where he is, Anna's is changing other things. By The Way, the people out there that have seen the musical Wonderland GOOD FOR YOU, those who have just now heard of it GO CHECK IT OUT, hope to see the next chapter tomorrow)**_  
_


	9. Chapter 9: A Dark Laugh

**(Yay more songs, and I know I haven't put anybody's request in yet but that is only because I need to get them set up, and after my first song attempt, I am definitely going to continue, so if the story is no good, at least you can have your favorite characters singing your favorite songs now ONWARD)**

Annabella's POV

It was true that Annabella loved noise and the hustle and bustle of the White Market but she was just too deep in thought, she wanted to be in an area with more peace and quiet so she decided on going into the Tulgey Woods, but before she went, she came back to her room to put on the the dress she wanted originally that morning and while she was just about to walk out the door she heard a swauck , the young hattress turned around to a silver cage and inside it was a young deep black raven looking at her with eyes that glistened like two small black pearls.

"Hello Noctis, finally awake I see, well I'm going out ,want to come ?" Annabella went towards the cage door and the black creature perched itself on his master's shoulder careful enough not to cause even a scratch on his precious girl, his claws were not very sharp anyway, every time Anna tried to sharpen them, the bird refused not wanting to even risked his beloved Annabella's safety. As he was perched on Anna's left shoulder, she took her right hand and scratched the birds neck. Annabella loved her Noctis Diablo. It turned out that Noctis was Latin for night, the night that had the same darkness with a blue twinge in it's color that the the raven shared, also Latin was a language that Anna spoke almost as well as English, learning a new language to Anna was like having her own secret code that only a few others new about. Diablo was the name of a raven in one of the fairy tales that her mother used to read her, apparently he was the loyal servant to the evil fairy Maleficent, Anna named her pet for the loyalty the bird had for this fairy, besides Anna always thought there had to be a reason for anyone to be evil.

"Lets go ". While walking around the market some greeted her but most were so used to her presence that they just past without a notice, when the two had reached the Tulgey Woods Anna took the chain back off her neck, because the necklace blocked part of her Underlandness it could drain her of energy and because she accidentally slept in it the night before, though's few minutes of fixing Lily's dress were not enough for her to gain back her energy. Anna placed the charm in a hole of an old abandoned tree to keep it safe when she was done. Noctis was starting to notice his owner was unusually quiet, in that she was quiet, he carefully moved his foot on her shoulder close to tapping it.

"Hmm, oh Noctis, I'm fine, just thinking", the bird flew in front of her face, "oh it's nothing" Notis refused to let her pass, "uhh, fine you win", the raven smiled.

"Mummy said she was _home sick_ but I don't know what it means ?"

**(Next Song: Jack's Lament from Nightmare Before Christmas)**

With Noctis flying over her head, Annabella was walking in a more secluded part of the forest, Annabella stopped to ponder on this riddle while leaning back against a tree.

_"There are few who deny for what I do I am the best for my talent is known across Underland"_

Annabella starts to get up and creep around the trees

_"When it comes to surprising whether day or night, I excel without hardly even trying"_

She is now dancing towards a tree stump

_"With the slightest little effort of my fun-filled charm, I have seen grown men give out a SHRIEK"_

Now flapping her arms around.

_"With a wave of my hand and a well based plan, I can surprise the very bravest off her feet"_

She stops to turn to her raven.

_"Yet here I stand and though hard to believe, I'v found a riddle that I can't complete"_

Now standing tall on the stump.

_"And I ANNABELLA, the TRICKSTER QUEEN._

Anna's arms become slump,

_"have now a question with no answer to see"_

She steps down and starts to circle the tree stump.

_"Oh there's an empty place in my bones, uncertainty begins to grow, there something here I can't solve on my own, to be sick of, a, from, or for home"_

_"My pranks cause screams of fright, or laughter of delight but always leave to come back with more along"_

_"For someone to say, I'm just a dumb child at play, I shall prove them the utmost wrong"_

_"And there's more joy to be had with someone who's half mad, for the best people are"_

_"No child, woman or man, can trick like can, and those who try don't get very far"_

Noctis looks to his master with pity and sorrow in his eyes.

_"Yet who could ever had guessed that the trickster queen with her signature grin, who be stumbed by this, if they understood, she'd piece the puzzle if she only could"_

She walks back to the stump.

_"Oh there's an empty place in my heart, a dark despair that won't depart, their smiles and glee and joy and cheer"_

She sits down.

_"Can not help dry my empty tears"_

**_(Song End)_**

"Oh Noctis, if only you could help me". Annabella turned around to make sure no one was around, she looked to the sky, "If Fate would ever give me help, now would be nice, please give me clue, a hint, or ANYTHING", after a few minutes the red-head sat back down on the stump and looked at her feet.

Noctis oh so wished he could help the girl, but there was nothing he could do suddenly at the corner of his eye, he saw something and clearly Anna saw it to.

It looked some what like a blur of black smoke, Annabella turned around and right there was a small little form of _glowing_ black smoke even smaller than a baby rabbit was floating there in front of her, then in a instant it floated away.

"WAIT" cried Annabella as it floated even deeper into the forest, as she ran Noctis flew in front of her face, "don't you see Noctis, _this_ is it, this is what fate has brought me, a guide to lead me to the answer, we _can't_ let it get away".

The two were running/flying so fast that neither noticed that this was the farthest they ever went to, the deeper they went, the darker the woods became but the smoke gave light to the darkness, till finally it stopped.

Anna felt like she ran for miles but now she had stopped she noticed something she had never seen before, in front of her was a giant black door, it seemed to be made of glistening dark wood, with gold accents on the sides, there was no door knob, only a golden keyhole, around the door seemed words made of gold but they seemed to be from an old forgotten language that Anna couldn't figure out. Noctis swaucked and tried to get his owner to turn around but Anna was too determined, curious and stubborn to notice her ravens' wanting to leave. As Anna was just about to touch it, the puff of smoke floated and suddenly evaporated into the door.

Anna put her hand on the door with only wishing she could open it, she had a strange feeling like something wanted her to open it, but as Anna saw a flash of light come from her hand she realized she wasn't wearing the charm and quickly took her hand away, hoping she didn't do anything to harm the door, who knows, it might be an ancient relic that was not supposed to be disturbed.

"ANNABELLA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE", she turned around to find her Uncle Chess looking at her with a face of anger yet relief, and curiousness, and if the young girl didn't know any better, she would say even _fear_.

Anna had to think fast, should she tell him about the smoke, or would he be mad, so she decided to play dumb.

"I was just taking a stroll with Noctis and..." "But you _know_ your not suppose to go this far without someone with you", this made Annabella start to wonder how far she really _did_ go. "I guess I didn't realize it, I'm sorry". The cat took a deep sigh accepting this conclusion, Annabella had a tendency to sometimes lose focus of the things around her.

"That's alright, just don't drift so far next time especially in the Tulgey Woods and...", the Cheshire Cat just noticing something, "Anna, where is you necklace ?". She explained that she accidentally slept in it the night before so she put it in an abandoned tree near the beginning of the wood to rest from it. The cat nodded then put the girl and bird on his back and evaporated to get as far from the door as possible.

After the trio left, the only sound left was a small, low, and dark laugh.

**(Ohhhhhhhh a dark laugh, the genre DID say an Adventure and all good adventures need a ****villain, but WHO is this villain, wait to find out also just in case..., ALL SONGS I USE I DID NOT CREATE, NOR DID I MAKE IT'S SOURCE MATERIAL ALL SONGS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS, WONDERLAND WAS MADE BY JACK MURPHY and GREGORY BOYD AND NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IS ANOTHER TIM BURTON PIECE)**


	10. Chapter 10: Fights, Ravens and Rabbits

**(Hello, READ THIS PART:**

Chess's POV

The Cheshire Cat was evaporating his way towards the tweedle home since they were sick, it would be fun to see how aggravation towards Chess would soon turn to aggravation towards each other resulting in coughs and sneezes, after all, being sick didn't mean you had to be bored the whole day and whenever Chess was around, there was no way you would be bored, whether you wanted to see him or not.

And out of the goodness of Chess's heart, he thought he might just bring some tarts from the tea party with him to cheer them up, I mean it wasn't like they would fight for who got the biggest tart, noooooooooo that would be silly and immature and the tweedle brothers weren't anything like that.

So as the Cheshire Cat had evaporated back to the tea-table, luckley the servants hadn't cleared away the food and there was plenty left, he heard something that gave him intrigue.

"FIND THE CHESHIRE CAT", the striped feline evaporated to the source of the sound which turned out to be the queen but it wasn't her yelling for him that startled him, Mirwana was sitting on her throne, clinging to the sides, shaking with a mix of complete fear and utter seriousness in her eyes.

"You called", both shock and relief filled the few ladies of court and Alice who were trying to calm down Mirwana.

"Chess go to the door, something has happened HURRY". "The door, Chess thought, if anything was to happen to it then... "Right away".

Though most didn't know about it, Chess's power was similar to walking, the longer it took to get to a location the more tired he could get, the feline evaporated to the edge of the wood behind on of the trees at the edge, in case who or whatever was their proved to be vilent but instead of a criminal or traitor to Underland he found someone he never would have expected there.

"ANNABELLA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE

Annabella's POV

Present Time

After his first travel the Cheshire Cat was only able to take Anna to the edge to where the Tulgey Woods start, Anna took her necklace from the old tree and rushed to her neck before something else happened. There waiting for them was Alice, Mirowana, and three knights, all in shock at the sight of the Hightopp child. But Mirowna had more serious things to discuss.

"CHESS, what happened", Annabella was a bit shocked to hear such urgency in her godmothers voice, the 12 year old suddenly felt that she drank seventeen bottles of pitshire shrinker but it only shrank the inside of her body.

The Cheshire cat spoke in a tired but calming voice, "Don't worry your majesty, it was only Annabella there, nothing to fear"

"Nothing to fear ?", Anna thought, "what was there to be afraid of, why was Mirowna worried", the red-head was soon pushed out of her thoughts by the sound of her mother and it was not a welcoming sound.

"Pardon me Mirowana but will you leave us, I need to have a_ talk_ with my _daughter_."

The White Queen nodded with a sweet and pity-like smile towards her god daughter and left with her knights towards her white carriage. After the carriage went to far for the remaining three to see, the Cheshire cat spoke.

"Well shall we be heading back", all Alice had to do was make a anger filled glance for the cat to get the picture, "You know the more I think about, I really do need to check on the tweedles, I"ll just be going".

Anna was starting to understand what was going on, "And I should help him, so I'll just go and..."

"NOT SO FAST young lady"

Anna turned around to face her mother, "is there a problem ?"

Alice and Anna had started walking home, "Yes Anna there is a problem, what exactly were you doing at the end of Tulgey Woods today"

"Well, I was just taking a walk and must have went to far"

"Do you realize that you could have gotten hurt, and if you did, what if Chess wasn't there hmm, no one could know you were in trouble till it was to late"

"Mother, as you can see I'm fine"

"But what if you weren't, besides what were you really doing ? "

"I told you I was..."

"ANNABELLA MARGRET HIGHTOPP, don't you DARE lie to me, you and I both know how thick that wood will get, there is no possible way you could have walked in there without knowing how deep you were going"

Alice took a deep breath and walked in front of her daughter with her arms crossed, "Well"

"I guess I was just lost in thought"

"About what ?"

"About umm, well about umm"

"ANNABELLA"

"ABOUT YOU, ABOUT HOW YOU MOPE, ABOUT HOW DEPRESSED YOU LOOK SOMETIMES ABOUT..."

"ANNABELLA THAT IS ENOUGH"

Alice took a few moments to calm down then went, and looked her daughter in the eye.

"Starting right now you are grounded young lady, you will be escorted to and back from school every day, you will stay in the white palace and you are not to leave your room without my permission, do I make myself clear ?"

Anna could not believe what she was hearing, her mother was punishing her for going to far into a wood she had walked in and out from for _years_.

"BUT THAT'S NOT"

_"Did I make myself clear",_ Alice repeated in a more harsher tone.

Anna knew she could not win this fight but she did want to make sure she was heard, she looked Alice right in the eye and with a calm yet icy cold tone she said one word.

"_Crystal"_

Neither said anything else the entire walk back home.

* * *

Still Annabella's POV

Once they reached the palace Anna turned heel, straight towards her room, on a usual day, others would greet her but the color of her eyes and the scowl on her face said to them all that they better back away. Annabella reached her room, slammed the door behind her and laid flat on her bed just frittering with the small stitches in the flower embroidery that covered the bed spread. She was taken from her pout however with the sound of a familiar swauck. Sitting up she smiled at her Noctis Diablo nestled into his cage, Mirowana must have put him there. Anna didn't even think about her raven during her _talk_ with her mother, he must have followed the queen knowing it wasn't his business.

The 12 year old went and sat by her pet while scratching under his chin through the bars. "I hope you like my company Noctis, because you'll be seeing alot more of it"

The raven tilted his head in confusion, "Mother grounded me, and for what, going to far into a forest ?, as if I can't handle things on my own"

That's when it hit Annabella like a ton of bricks, "That's just it Noctis, mother has always trusted me, why stop now, I'm telling you boy something strange is going on here and not in a good way".

The bird looked at his owner as if trying to decide to either be happy for her or wonder just how mad she could be.

"Secrets and lies, it's all just secrets and lies Noctis, mother is hiding something and after the fight we had there is no way she's going to open up any time soon, especially after I showed I'm on to her"

Noctis blinked again at the girl. "Well if I'm going to figure this out, the first step is solving this _homesick_ riddle, but how ?"

After a few minutes of mentally making and taking down plans in her head, Anna heard the door creak open, there before her, much to Anna's relief was _not_ her mother, but McTwisp.

"Let me guess, your here to make sure I don't try to leave".

"Actually my dear I came to talk to you, don't worry, your mother does not know I'm here, in fact I do not believe she's was completely right either."

Anna was shocked to say the least that McTwisp was taking _her_ side over her mother's.

"Well what do _you_ think ?", Anna asked in a non sarcastic way.

The rabbit smiled, "Anna please listen, sometimes others do and say certain things when their stressed, or confused, or _scared _but when it comes down to the facts, they really mean well".

Anna was now confused about what he meant but smiled at the rabbit, "Thank You Nivens"

The white rabbit nodded and went to hop out when suddenly Anna had an idea.

"Um Nivens wait, can we talk a little bit"

"Why of course"

"Thank you, I was just wondering, _how long have you known mother anyways._

**(This is short I know, but I just had to get one in, I've been having an inspiration drought for this story but a chapter needed to be finished, hopefully you will get another chapter by tomorrow, also now I AM SO GLAD ABOUT THE AGE DIFFERENCE I MADE, having Anna be 12 instead of 9 makes the argument MUCH more believable and ****identifiable for a pre-teen to have a mother-daughter argument instead of a child having a tantrum)**


	11. Chapter 11: The Queen Doll

**(Remember I said MAYBE Tuesday, remember also when I said I've been having a inspiration drought for this story I MEANT IT, soooooooooooo if the story's seem bland to you, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, with that said, I'm Moonlight Snowflake and on with the show)****  
**

Mirwanna"s POV

Once returning to the castle,all the White Queen wanted to do was be in a quiet room with no one, NO ONE, entering for five days or she might start going by her sister's motto. After the incident with the door, Mirowanna was ready to chop off the head of the first person to even speak to her, thank heavens a ax wasn't nearby.

"No Mirowanna, we don't think that way", the queen thought.

"Your majesty !" called out one of the knights outside driving the carriage taking the monarch out of her thoughts.

"WHAT IS IT you little, no Mirowanna, stay in control", she thought, then spoke through her teeth, "Yes?"

"We'll be arriving at the palace momentarily"

Mirowanna thought, "Well I think I would notice we were there once the carriage STOPPED !", but instead said again, "Thank you Owen".

As the knight had said in a few moments they indeed had arrived at Marmoreal, but before stopped Mirowanna spoke.

"Before we stop, may we please stop by the garden instead of the main entrance, I have some potions I must work on".

The knights accepted this answer and stopped at the garden, the real reason was because she knew that the rest of her ladies in waiting would be, well waiting for her, plus the potion room was indeed closer to the garden, the queen reached for the hand of the knights, thanked them and quickly headed towards the potion room. But not before being stopped dead in her tracks.

"Mother", said the young blonde, "Your back, how was the trip ?"

Mirrowanna had to escape, before she ended up snapping at her daughter, she looked to the tutor rushing towards them.

"George, I would hate to intrude on your lesson"

"Oh your not intruding your..."

"So I'll just leave you two to continue your work", Mirrowanna's smile seemed much more forced now, "good-day George," now turning to her daughter, "now go on dear, don't let me intrude"

The regal monarch left with speechless daughter and a worried tutor, after finally reaching the potion room door, she went in, and locked herself in, in-case the staff were to find her. Mirowanna went to her potion book and picked out a simple sparkler spell, grabbed her ingrediants, with the speed she was going it was a miracle she didn't drop anything and took her position, took a deep breath and smiled, it felt like she was back in the good old days.

Mirrowanna started chopping some dried gracco **(just think of a thin green pepper)** and let her thoughts drift to the sound of the blade passing through vegetable to wood, as one hand did the chopping and the other would immediately grab another bit and put in down. Chopping, crushing, mixing, stabbing and doing many other things was so routine back before taking back the crown that it seemed so natural, she did it without thinking about it. This allowed the queen to think.

"The door", she thought, "what if something really did happen to it", having Annabella there didn't ease the stress, the child had more in her than she realized. "Annabella" she thought, "why can't that girl just do what she's told and stay out of trouble, still I do hope Alice is resistant towards punishment, but then again, if, even on accident, Anna did mess with the door who knows what might happen, there might be a family reunion",_  
_

Mirowanna stopped chopping and all was silent, so silent in fact that one could have heard a simple pin drop and the sound would be as clear as a bell. "Racey", she thought, "I wonder how she feels being all alone", suddenly eyes of pity turned to eyes of rage. "Well I gave her a chance didn't I, but NO, she had to have the crown, a crown that symbolized the kindness and responsibility for every last living THING IN THIS ENTIRE LAND, that the red queen OBVIOUSLY didn't have, all she cared about was herself, and acted so mad at how I got the crown, when she didn't even do the job. I am the one with the crown, I am the one with the responsibility and for WHAT, to be treated like a brainless little girl who gets no respect from anyone".

Mirrowanna started to look back, her sister was feared but respected, she was loved but underestimated, "but whats more important, maybe I should stop being a helpless queen, maybe I need to show my authority, to show them what happens when you cross the White Queen",_ crack. _The woman looked down at her cutting bored, she had been baring so hard with the knife that the wood had started splitting slightly.

She gasped, "Oh no, what have I've done, what had I said, what was I thinking, what did I almost do", she realized now just how close she had become from giving in to the darkness inside her. The pale female suddenly looked all around the room, white walls, white floor, white everything, everything was white, everything was pure, everything was _fine, _she started twirling around the room and admiring her pure white dress, she giggled, she was a innocent little queen, but she was fragile, like a porcelain doll and that's how they saw her and that was good. She didn't need respect, she didn't want respect, she was admired for her grace and kindness, just like how it should be. Then she giggled, "how silly of me, everything is fine, everything is good and sweet just like how it should be". Then looked at the cut up vegetable, "oh dear, this must be cleaned up", the little queen took the chopping"s and threw them away and put back the other ingredients. Then she continued giggling and twirling around the potion room as if it was a ballroom, with those silly old thoughts put away from her head and stayed smiling a sweet air-headed smile.

Like the graceful little doll she was.

**(I took Anne Hathaway's approach about how the White Queen might be even darker than her sister but doesn't want to go to far so she surrounds herself in white and goodness to block it out, this is a much more tragic chapter on seeing how unstable Mirowanna's emotions can be and how she has even managed to trick herself into being the person she pretends to be and how dark she can be as well, SORRY if it's a bit rushed and short but I really wanted to have this established for the poor woman, and the next chapter will be in by Tuesday I PROMISE)**


	12. Chapter 12: Lily's More Than This

**(I'm back and THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS, I can hardly believe the reviews, I feel I'm exceptionally young for writing stories and for you people to like it so much is hard for me to believe, your all very supportive and I thank you for that but now that we have taken a "very tragic" look on our queen, let's take a look at our princess)**

Lily's POV

Tutor George had decided to allow Lily's private lessons outside today, in the middle of the lesson, Tutor George became rather irritated.

"And so in conclusion..., Princess Lily, your not listening".

"Of course I am tutor"

"Then what did I just say ?"

"Princess Lily your not listening", she answered.

The teacher sighed, "Princess Lily please, one day you are to become queen so please pay attention, now in conclusion, when Queen Isis went forward to the people, she declared..."

But indeed the young blonde wasn't listening she had other things on her mind.

_Flash back_

Just a little while ago, while looking over notes for her tutor that was to come any minute, the young princess heard a scream.

"FIND THE CHESHIRE CAT", "the Cheshire cat, why, was something wrong ?", she wondered, but she wasted no time thinking of answers. Princess Lily dashed out of her room, towards the throne room, in her little heels it was fairly difficult but the princess was able to get there quickly enough this time because at the moment she didn't care who heard her, her mother was in trouble.

By the time she got to the throne room she saw her mother rising from the regal chair with Alice trying to help her keep balance, her mother looked dazed, as if she had suffered from some event, Lily stayed behind the doorway, wondering what was going on.

The queen spoke again, "Louise, send for three of my finest guards and a carriage at the main entrance, I can't take any chances"

Louise began to speak, "Your majesty, I hardly think it wise to..."

"Just GO", the queen shouted, as Lily clanged to the doorway. Louise was taken aback but didn't think it wise herself to argue so she went, but being stopped by Lily.

"Louise wait", said the princess, Louise wasn't her favorite of the court, she had a triangle like face and always kept her hair in little curls up around her head like a cotton ball, **(she was the one who said, "yes your majesty when the queen asks her about the trees, when the audience first sees the queen)** but was here, "Princess, how much did you hear ?"

"All I heard was mother's scream, and so I ran down here to find her calling for her guards, why ?"

Lilly could tell Louise was in a hurry, "Princess, your to young to understand this is a grown up affair, something a little princess should stay out of, it's nothing for you to worry about and..."

"Lilly" exclaimed a third voice. The other two turned to a plump, and short woman rushing towards Lily,**(just imagine Johanna from the TV drama Once Upon A Time)**

"Nanny" said the Princess nervously, "Lily I leave you for less than 10 minutes and you disappear", the woman exclaim's.

"Well maybe you should keep better watch on her then, after all, it is your _job_" said Louise coldly, "and now I must do mine", and she rushed out to find the knights.

Nanny then escorted Lily to her tutor who had taken her in the garden that day.

_Flashback End_

It was the sound of horses and carriage wheels that pulled the young royal back to present time, she and her tutor looked up to find the White Queen herself being lifted out of the carriage. Before her tutor had any time to react, Princess Lily ran up to her mother.

"Mother, your back, how was your trip ?", Lily hoped her mother would end her daughter's lesson short, share some tea with her and answer all her questions on what happened earlier that day. But what she got was very shocking and disappointing.

Tutor George caught up with the white pair, but before he could speak, her mother beat him to it.

"George, I would hate to intrude on your lesson"

"Oh your not intruding your..."

"So I'll just leave you two to continue your work", Mirrowanna's smile seemed much more forced now, "good-day George," now turning to her daughter, "now go on dear, don't let me intrude".

Lily was speechless to say the least as her mother rushed back into the palace, what Lily didn't know was that her Nanny was standing there with drinks and cookies on a tray in her hands for a afternoon snack but after that scene she placed the tray down and walked towards the child.

"George, I think Lily has had enough for today that will be all till tomorrow" the woman spoke.

"But madam we only just..."

"_Good day_ George, the woman said more forcefully"

Lily smiled as her Nanny picked up the tray and lead the blonde upstairs to her bedroom. Once arriving, her nanny put the tray down by the young girl's vanity.

Thank you nanny"

"Of course dear, but if I were you, I'd look through those books a little bit today, I have the feeling he'll be putting extra work on to you tomorrow"

Lily reached down for a cookie, "yeah probably". Lily sat by her vanity and dropped her book and notebook down, on her vanity was a mini stand covered in jewelry, bottles of perfume and a few hair accessories, most were in the draws along with make-up in plenty of different shades. What also rested on her vanity desk was a miniature portrait of her mother holding her as a baby, a full-size one was in the gallery, but a mini one was made for both Lily and Mirowanna on their vanity desks. What also stood their was Lily's small tiara.

"Why aren't you wearing your tiara dear"

"Must have been so excited about the morning tea-party that I forgot about it".

After a few moments of enjoying the snack, the kind woman started to leave.

"Uh nanny, before you go can I ask you something"

"Oh course my flower".

Lily sighed, "nanny what am I good for ?"

The elder gave a confused look, "what do you mean, your smart, polite, beautiful, graceful and much more, why would you ask such a question ?"

"It's just, others see me as just a sweet little princess, I feel I could do more, if someone would give me the chance."

**(Here it comes the next song, "She Is More Than This" from "The Thief and The Cobbler")**

Lily took a seat at her vanity and looked in the mirror, _"Yes the pretty face, yes the sunny smile"_

She strokes her hair _"Yes each hair in place"_ she chuckles,_ "and yes she can_ beguile"

Lily sits up straight _"proper and polite"_, she gracefully waves with her fingers cupped,_ "never makes a wave"_

She looks to her tiara , _"born just to delight"_, then looks at a small picture , _"and bred to behave"._

She sits up,_ "but she is more than this",_ takes her school book, _"there's a mind in the body of this pretty miss",_ she balances the book on her head.

_"She is more than this"_, she gracefully opens and steps on to the balcony, _"so much more, so much more she is more than this"__._

Nanny walks out and leads her back in, "come in child" and takes the book off her head, _"Outwardly she's free"_, nanny closes the balcony doors, _"inwardly she's bound"_

Lily sits down so nanny can brush her hair, _"given half the chance she might prove profound"_, she reaches and flips through her notebook, _"has a thought or two different from the rest"._

Looking at the window, _"has a point of view, which must be expressed"._

Lily takes her Nanny's hands and starts dancing across the room, _"yes she is more than this, there's a mind in the body of this pretty miss ,she is more than this ,so much more, so much more ,she is more than this"_

Lily finishes as nanny sets her down again and places the tiara on her head.

**(End Song)**

Nanny sighs, "my dear, you will get your chance, when you are queen, the others don't know you the way I do, or the way your mother does, or the way your god-parents and Annabella does, but they will"

Lily looked up to her, "yes but Louise..."

Nanny snorted, "hmmp, Louise, she doesn't know what she's talking about, I think with that big ego of her's there's not much room for a brain"

This made Lily giggle, "I guess your right Nanny, but right now I need to study so..."

"Oh course dear, I'll leave you to it"

However as soon as nanny left and her footsteps faded Lily looked at herself in the mirror, she tried to help her understand, nanny had been with Lily since she was a babe, and even she didn't comprehend the problem. Lily dashed the door to lock it then ran to her bed and cried softly in the pillow so no one could hear.

"She doesn't understand", the princess whispered through her sobs,"no one understands, and no matter what I do, no one ever will".

**(Looks like life as a royal is anything but a fairy-tale for this mother-daughter duo. But also, NO, LILY DOESN'T WANT TO STOP BEING A PRINCESS, she likes being a princess, she just wants others to know her for her character as well as beauty and title, I'm trying to stop her from being the "sick of being princess" cliche, also THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER AND ALL SONGS WITH IT ARE NOT MINE THE FILM BELONGS TO RICHARD WILLIAMS AND ALL THOSE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON IT THAT I DON'T KNOW THE NAMES OF)**


	13. Chapter 13: Plans and Questions

**(This is late but you see, while watching TV one day, I thought to myself, maybe I should do what TV shows do and do a chapter every week but THEN after that I realized how excited I was to get this chapter out, so I think I'll stick to three days or less on chapter arrival, but anyway, now that we've got to know other characters, let's get back to our main character, I'm Moonlight Snowflake now on with the show)**

Annabella's POV

_"How long have you known my mother anyway ?", _that was the question, but the moment it came out of Anna's mouth, Anna knew three things,

1). A white rabbit could always get paler

2). She was right, there was indeed MUCH more going on than thought to believe

3). She said the wrong thing at the wrong time

Nivens was shuddering, "well, I um... well, um, why do you ask anyway ?"

"I was just curious... and"

"Well maybe your to curious for your own good" the rabbit snapped.

Anna's eyes became as wide as tea-saucers at how Nivens, _Nivens_ of all creatures had _snapped _at her.

Nivens saw this reaction and must have realized he went to far because he spoke again in a much softer but still keeping firm, tone.

"Look Anna, I'm sorry for being cross but some parts of the past are best left untouched, for the good of everyone, all that matters is how we live the present and how we plan for the future, do you understand child" ?

"I think so"

"Good, now if you'll please excuse me, I must help the Queen arrange plans for Princess Lily's Birthday Ball".

Now most would have taken the waist-coat wearing rabbit's advice and let it go, but Annabella Hightopp was NOT like other's, not even close to it. Once McTwisp had left, Anna went back to thinking mode, while trying to figure out why the past was kept covered in mystery and secrecy, but even she has her breaking point.

Anna opened and sat by Noctis's cage, stroking the winged creature with the look of defeat on her face. "Oh Noctis, as far as I know, this is a waste of time, mother is clearly not going to tell me, and I could bet you that anyone else's reaction would be similar to McTwisp's if I asked, and even if someone _does _decide to tell me, as far as I know, it could be just a lie or a rumor"

The 12 year old's green eyes started shining a brilliant emerald color. "Rumors, _Rumors, _RUMORS, Noctis that's it"

The bird looked confused at his master and Anna giggled, "Noctis, who loves to gossip, _who_ doesn't care who they tell, WHO, knows practically every bit of gossip that goes on in Underland ?"

Anna giggled again, knowing the bird could not answer and so answered for him, "The_ flowers_, Nostis, the _gossip flowers_, they know close to anything and _everything_ that goes on in Underland".

Annabella took her bird and started twirling around with joy, Noctis got free from her grip and started swauking around her, happy she had found her answers. Suddenly the red-head stopped and realized something.

"Well I know where to go, but how to get there is the question, if I even try to leave this hall-way, mother will surely start _locking_ me in."

Then suddenly she remembered something, "If I try to leave_ now_, I'll get locked in, but if I keep mother dearest under the radar for a few days ?", Anna started to grin, her trickery, sly, fox-like grin, she turned to face her bird with the sinister smile that he was starting to share.

"And after a few days, a simple trip to see someone, the tweedles perhaps would be innocent enough, and after all it _is_ a big kingdom, where one could so _easily_ go astray to perhaps a certain _flower patch". _Annabella softly snickered at the thought of how she was going to fool everybody.

* * *

The next day, Anna was up early put on her silver charm necklace and dressing in a soft pink hatter dress with gold short sleeves, a thin gold sash around the waist tied with a bow on the back and gold trimmings at the end of the skirt, with white stockings and a sparkly hat headband to match, she put on some gold ballet flats, grabbed her light brown satchel with note-books, folders, paper and pencils and she was ready to go.

Anna went down to the breakfast table and sat down with everyone else, but made absolute certain she was sitting beside her father, while her mother stood across from him, Anna tried to keep her head down at her oatmeal with apples, raisins and honey mixed into it. Picking up her spoon, Anna scooped up some of her breakfast and tried to eat slowly, hoping that if she did eat slowly enough, that the meal time she had before school could be spent only on her meal. Anna's plan was to be on her best behavior to keep her Alice off guard but on second day of punishment , Anna didn't trust herself to stay under control. The pre-teen kept her thoughts towards the taste of her breakfast, the sweet, sugary taste of the honey, contrasted perfectly with the light tang of the raisins and the apple chunks added just the right crunch.

The sweet taste of breakfast almost made Anna forget the awkward position she was in. It wasn't until the loud ringing of a clock that Annabella gained back focus on the situation. The clock on top of the mantle, inside the dining room was cue for the 12-year old to begin her walk to the school-house. She pushed the small amount left-over from her breakfast and sat up, and almost simultaneously, as did Alice.

"I will be walking you to school today Annabella"

The red-head could definitely hear a stiff coolness in her mothers voice, but also, perhaps something else, almost _restraint_. Could her mother actually be questioning grounding her. From the anger she showed just yesterday, it did not seem likely, but perhaps...

"Annabella ?"

Alice's voice pulled the young one away from her thoughts and back to reality.

"Hmm, oh yes I'm coming"

Neither spoke the entire time, granted it wasn't that long a walk, a usual 15 minutes or less. Anna was mostly hoping that her mother would leave her half way or if she did walk her all the way, a story as to why that was so. Don't think of her wrongly, Annabella loved her mother, but all of the other students and even most adults saw Annabella as a adventurist, an explorer, someone who could handle herself, someone who liked to take risks, not someone who would want their mother walking them to a school, in town, only 15 minutes away.

But pretty soon, when on to arrival, Anna saw that it was unnecessary, _everyone_ was being walked by a parent, guardian, or family member. Anna was shocked, she was about to ask her mother but once inside, Alice turned heel to leave, Annabella said good-bye but her mother was engulfed in the crowd of parents that she probably didn't hear her anyway. As the children filled the halls Anna headed towards her classroom as fast as possible, as possible as it was without tripping on anyone. Call it a hunch, but Anna felt that perhaps, the fact that ever other student was being walked by a grown up wasn't a coincidence. Anna reached her classroom, went down to her seat and waited patiently, well at least how 'patiently', Annabella Hightopp can be for the other students, most particularly Malinda.

"Hey Anna"

Malinda was slightly taller than Anna, maybe by an inch with blonde hair, except unlike Lily's light, pure platinum blonde hair, Malinda's was a shade darker, but not dark enough to be called brown, but it did always have highlights of some color on it depending on what she was wearing. Today she was wearing a frilly baby blue top with a long, gold colored, ruffle skirt. **(Look up "Long Ruffle Skirt" on Google Images)** With a few thin baby blue highlights on her head. One day when Anna asked why she did that, Malinda simply replied, "it's my niche, like how your's is hat bands, mine is highlights ".

Annabella turned to her aqua-eyed friend with relief that she arrived before class was to begin.

"Malinda, thank goodness, your here, why was everyone with a parent today"

Malinda looked to her confused, "You mean you didn't know"

"My, um mother didn't tell me", okay not a _total_ lie, her mother _didn't_ tell her, in fact they hardly had talked the entire morning, but if anyone found out she was grounded, they would ask how, then ask what she was doing in the woods in the first place and it all would just be a complete mess.

But luckily, Malinda accepted this and began to answer, "well apparently, the queen sent knights and guardsmen to every house, late last night to say that children were to be escorted to where ever they went and for all adults to _be on their guard_".

"Be on their guard ?, For what ?"

"I actually thought _you_ would know, living in the palace and such, but rumors are that..."

"Alright students, bottoms in chairs, faces forward, mouths shut, class is to begin"

"Just great", Anna thought, "here I was just about to get some answers and whoop de do, class begins", but then the red-head thought of something else, "then again, at least I know why there were so many adults there, kind of".

Most of the time, Anna loved school, in Social Studies, you get to hear a new part of a story, and the best part would be that it did happen, in Language Arts, she could, debate, discuss, and say what she thought about something in her own way, math could be frustrating, but when you understood the formula, all the problems, looked more like puzzles or parts of a game. And Science, well, it really depended on what you were learning about.

But today, on Anna's mind and on basically everyone else's, was, why the queen did what she did. Mrs. Martial probably knew no one would pay attention, that would explain why she basically just reviewed the notes, the class had taken the school day before and read out of the text book, knowing no-one was following along.

Once first period ended, everyone stated to head to their next class as was Anna, until she was stopped. "Miss Hightopp, a word please", a chorus of ohh's followed with the other student's' footsteps heading out the door.

Anna saw as the dark-haired woman shut the door, that would soon have a line of students waiting beside it and have brown eyes turn, head, and look towards her's with concern.

"Am I in trouble ?", the girl said with worry, the grounding was bad enough, a note or meeting with the teacher would not help Anna's 'under the radar' plan.

The woman smiled, "oh course not Anna",she was a wonderful teacher, she was very understanding, but was not a pushover, which could be because she had two children of her own, though they both were much younger than Anna. She had dark brown hair, that would either, reach slightly past her shoulders or was put up in a bun, and she was about half a foot shorter than Anna.

She looked at her student carefully, and spoke softly, almost in a whisper, "Anna, listen to me, the rest of the faculty and I were told not to mention it, but do _you_ have any idea what is happening, just like everyone else I'm _scared_, so please Anna, if you have any information about what's going on, please tell me".

"I'm sorry , I don't", the woman's face fell, and Anna felt awful not knowing the answers, she was probably this, not just teacher, but _mother's_ only way to find out why this was happening, "but if I can find out, you'll be the first person I go to". 's face lightened a little bit, not as hopeful as before but still having hope. "Thank you Anna, you may go now".

Annabella turned to leave with a pang of guilt, "but why should I feel guilty", she thought, "after all, it's not my fault I don't know", suddenly, Anna's eyes began large with fear and thought. "If and Malinda both thought I knew the answer, I bet everyone else will to". When reaching and taking her seat in 's room, Anna could practically feel the eyes of everyone looking at her, what was she going to do.

**(To make up for the wait, here's a super extra long chapter for you, hope you enjoy, by the way, is actually based off by my 7th grade teacher from back in the day, though not the same name, there will be a new chapter soon, so be on the look out, also, here's a question, I'll be in a new school next year, and thought about having mini top hat headband as my niche, what do you think ?)**


	14. Chapter 14: Silence, Trust, News

**(I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, turns out I was closer to the EOG's than I had my Social Studies one and my classes are trying to put in enough reviews they can, THAT is why this is late, luckily it's been a weekend so on with the story)**

Annabella's POV

Annabella was outside the school waiting for Alice to escort her home, she couldn't really recall the school day, and that was her intention, she was trying to forget that entire day, the little she could remember. All classes tried to keep the students focused on their work and any time someone did get the chance to talk, it was always to Annabella to figure out what had happened. Trying to keep a war from starting, she simply didn't say anything, ignoring anyone and everyone who talked to her. She had been practically silent the entire day and here she was now silently waiting for her mother. She didn't have to wait long though.

The walk home was silent, Alice would usually ask how her day was and usually Anna was more than happy to bring out the details but today was not usual. Alice probably already knew students were probably asking for answers her daughter could not provide so kept quiet.

Finally they reached the palace, Alice went towards the throne room to help Mirawana and Annabella went to her room.

Anna's room was exceptionally large, but nothing compared to Lily's, but the main difference from her's from Lily's or most other rooms was it's colors. The walls could be different patterns, different colors or shades, depending on what Anna wanted, they were used for most of her magic practice in changing their appearances. The ceiling had a small chandelier glittering silver lights with the night sky as the ceiling with stars twinkling with the chandelier lights.

When reaching her room, Anna locked the door, and double checked to make sure the the windows were locked. She then went to her bed, put her locket on the front banister and grabbed the smallest pillow on it, looked up at her night sky ceiling right before putting her face into the pillow, and screamed.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the scream was muffled enough into the pillow to not alarm anyone outside, but not so much for Annabella not to hear it. Then she put the pillow down and started pacing across the floor, saying, "I can do this, I can do this", trying to calm herself down. She just needed to do it, she needed to hear her own voice, to feel the faint vibration of her vocal cords, after her day of silence she _needed_ this.

After calming down, Anna finally allowed the stress and frustration of the day to give into her as she collapse on her bed.

* * *

It was dark, no it was black, pitch black, she couldn't see anything. Then the rest of her senses came to her, the feeling of cold, hard, stone against the palms of her hands, the awful smell of must and dust, wherever she was, it probably hasn't been entered in quite a long time. Then a sound, the spine tingling sound of a laugh. The laugh wasn't very deep, maybe slightly deeper than her fathers, but the laugh wasn't from humor, it was from the sheer delight in watching the confused little girl, though she couldn't see anything, she knew, she just_ knew_, that they were looking at her, she could feel their eyes bearing onto her. And Annabella knew they knew of her awareness to their presence.

* * *

"anna... Annabel... Annabella", the constant slight shaking of her shoulders and the blurry repeat of her name is what awoke the sleeping red-head.

"Huh, uh, what ?", the 12 year old fluttered her eyes opened as the blurred image of her mother became clearer. "mama".

Alice heaved a sigh of relief, "yes sweetie wake up".

Anna obeyed and sat up and realized she was still in her hatter dress, "what time is it ?".

"Midnight"

"MIDNIGHT" Annabella sighed, "well it looks like I'm not getting back to bed".

Alice smiled and chuckled to the child, "here", the blonde reached her hands towards the nightstand where a, steamy white mug stood and handed it to Annabella, "hot chocolate".

Anna took the drink shyly, even when she was much younger, she was in general, a daddy's little girl, but still was close to her mother, but as she got older, it seemed that while her relationship with her father grew, her relationship with her mother became shriller. They haven't had a nice talk like this in years.

"Thank You"

"Annabella, when you didn't come down to dinner, I thought perhaps you had a bad-day at school and didn't want to be bothered, so I didn't worry, but tonight I couldn't sleep, so I made myself a drink and decided to check on you, it a good thing I did because Annabella, I found you tossing and turning, drenched in sweat, did you have a bad dream ?"

Anna was shocked, did she really look like that while she was asleep, "maybe".

"Do you want to talk about it"

"Well I...", but as Anna was about to tell her about the nightmare, her mind went blank, she tried but for some reason, she couldn't remember the dream, not a single bit of it.

"I, I can't remember".

"Well here", Alice handed her daughter a white and green ribbon nightgown, as Anna sat up, went to her bathroom to get changed, then came back to her mother on the bed.

"That can happen sometimes with dreams, but what I am wondering is how long exactly you've been asleep"

"Since I got back from school"

"Bad day ?"

Anna sighed, "yeah", and before she knew it, Annabella started spouting out everything, "everyone was questioning me about the queen's orders and for the first time since I could remember..."

"The wonderful wondrous Annabella Hightopp didn't have the answer" Alice finished.

Anna looked to her mother's eyes filled with care as Alice went on, "You felt helpless, didn't you, like everything was put on you and depended on you, but you felt vulnerable to do it, it was something you couldn't stop or change or do even though everyone expected you to".

Suddenly Annabella became confused, "how did you know that" ?

Alice smiled, "because that's just how I felt before...", Alice looked to her daughter with her eyes filled in curiousness then her's became large as if just realizing something, "well it isn't important, I'll just be going now".

"Wait, before what ?"

"It was nothing"

"Before WHAT"

"ANNABELLA, PLEASE".

"Why can't you tell me, I AM your daughter, don't you TRUST ME"

Alice's anger stopped as she looked at Annabella who had the very embodiment of sadness, anger and betrayal on her face. She walked to her daughter, sat down on her bed and looked her in the eye. "Anna I do trust you".

"Then why do you keep everything from me".

"Anna, anything I don't tell you, is nothing worth the trouble telling , it's time for you to keep take your mind out of the past, and into the future".

The red-head sighed to her mother, "I guess your right, maybe I've just been focused on the wrong thing, thank you, goodnight".

"Good-night sweetheart".

Annabella went back down onto her bed and closed her eyes, but after the sound of a shut door and Alice's footsteps faded, Anna opened her emerald eyes with her fox grin on her face looked at the closed door.

Anna chuckled and whispered, "if you actually think I'm going to give up that easily, you don't know me that well do you ?". She then sipped the last of her hot chocolate, closed her eyes and allowed sleep to overcome her peacefully.

* * *

The sun started streaming down on the 12-year old's face as she fluttered her eyes open, taking the golden pocket watch that hung on her banister next to her silver necklace, looked at it and...

"I'M LATE, I'M LATE, I'M LATE", Annabella threw opened her wardrobe doors and grabbed the nearest dress she saw, threw it on, stuffed the nearest shoes on and dashed out the door. That is until she crashed into Nanny.

"ANNABELLA, goodness sake child, what's WRONG with you"?

"NANNY I'M SO SORRY BUT I'M LATE FOR..."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, very funny Annabella, you do quite know how to put someone in a good mood in the morning"

But then the woman saw that she wasn't laughing but had the look of confusion on her face and stopped, "you mean, you didn't know ?"

"Know what, I just woke up"

"Well that would explain your choice in attire this morning"

Anna looked down to see herself with a purple hatter dress with orange shoes and her night dress sticking out all directions with green stockings with it, and put a hand in her hair, only for it to catch tangles and knots, no wonder Nanny thought it was part of a joke.

"Oh", she replied shyly

Nanny finished the last of her giggles to continue. "My dear, the queen sent another message last night, that until further notice, all school time is cancelled".

**(WOW this is late but DON'T WORRY, next chapter WILL INDEED BE UP EITHER THIS MONDAY OR TUESDAY AT LATEST so keep your eye out ALSO, if you have any ideas for Anna's room or any dress designs for ANY of the characters, even just a certain color you want them to be wearing FEEL FREE TO OPEN UP YOU WILL BE GIVEN CREDIT and BTW ANY MORE SONG IDEAS, I'M USING ONE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER)**


	15. Chapter 15: Butterfly Song

**( So it's Tuesday NIGHT, and I'm here typing for you people, just been caught up in my HTTYD fanfic, but here's a question, IS ANYONE READING THIS, I don't want to sound vain, but I haven't even gotten a review for the last chapter, not one, are you guys reading this, and you don't have to be a member to review, I hate to sound needy but I'm just used to getting at least one review per chapter and I only signed up back in April, you guys are getting me worried)**

Annabella went back to her room in shock, school was _cancelled, _after changing properly into a mint green old home dress, Annabella realized something, what was she going to do. Just because she was out, didn't mean Lily was, no, she was still stuck with her tutor, she asked a servant to sent word to fetch Malinda but, part of Mirowanna's order was that no one was to leave their house unless to go to the market. So this meant she wasn't allowed to go anywhere or be with any of her friends, just great.

Anna pretty much spent the day trying to entertain herself, she played fetch with Noctis, did her homework, read a book, and went for a walk, which was hard to do considering that plenty of guards were well, _guarding_ the entire perimeter of Marmoreal, a pleasant walk is hard to have when you are constantly being watched. But Annabella's most favorite thing was going to one of the library's, why, because of the giant piano in it, Annabella, though did know how to play, didn't own one herself, so she used the library's.

Touching the smooth slick keys, she began to play, practicing since small childhood, the girl could play with her eyes closed, allowing herself to get enveloped into the music, till she was broken out of her dreamland by the slam of a door.

"WOULD YOU STOP THAT, THE PRINCESS IS TRYING TO STUDY AND YOUR PLAYING IS VERY DISTRACTING, JUST BECAUSE YOUR OUT OF SCHOOL, YOU THINK YOU CAN DO WHAT EVER YOU WANT, WELL THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS WORK IN THE REAL WORLD, SOME OF US STILL HAVE WORK TO DO.

The red-head stopped to face the red-faced tutor, she got from the bench and silently walked out, no mess or fuss, a few seconds later there was a crash from the hall, ... they needed a new vase.

* * *

It had been a few days and so far her plan seemed to be working, it wasn't that hard actually, when word broke out of Annabella's grounding across the palace, most stayed away from her to give her some space, it also helped that in fact Lily's Birthday was coming and everyone was preparing for it so most were to busy anyway, it was during these ;no school days' that Anna just did what ever she could do to keep herself busy, she stayed a long time outside, walking, playing, reading or trying to figure out how to get in contact with the flowers, without notice.

After the piano fiasco, Alice advised her daughter to take up needle point and it was also during one of these days that rain had come and there was Annabella, in a dark blue old home dress **(imagine the dress Johanna wears in Sweeney Todd)** in a chair by the window with needlepoint. Listening to the chirping of the birds from the queen's private aviary and her Noctis Diablo, following their tune. Though she was trying to focus on her stitching, Anna's thoughts turned to other things...

**(For you DayDreamer) Let Me Sing from Sweeney Todd**

_Green Finch, Linnet Bird, Nighting Gale, Blackbird, How is It You_ _Sing,_ ,

What she didn't know was a certain blue butterfly was flying to the white palace to talk to Mirrowanna, but was stopped by the sound.

_How can you jubilate sitting in cages, never taking wing_

"Well I guess that is a valid question for a child's mind" thought Absolim.

_"Outside the sky waits beckoning, beckoning, just beyond the bars"_

"I guessing this isn't entirely about the birds", he thought.

_How can you remain staring at the rain, maddened by the stars_

"Might as well let the girl finish" he sighed.

Turning back to Noctis,_ How is it you sing anything, how is it you sing_

Absolum flew to the window sill, for the girl to finish, "at least she can stay on pitch".

Annabella looks back at how dark and grim her room looks on such a cloudy day, emphasizing her feeling of being locked up.

_My cage has many rooms, damask and dark, nothing there sings, not even my lark_

"Does she not suppose she's overreacting", Absolem mumbled to himself.

Turning back to her window, _Larks never will you know when their captive, teach me to be more adaptive_

"I would like to know what this is really about" thought the blue creature.

_Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh_

Luckily for the insect, the window was open, allowing him to push and slip through just enough for her not to notice.

_Green Finch, Linnet Bird, Nighting Gale, Blackbird, Teach me how to_ _Sing_

Absolum flew right above her so she could finish.

_If I cannot fly, let me sing_

**(End Song)**

"Now what's this all about"

Annabella gasped at the new voice, "oh Absolem, I didn't see you there."

"Yes, a small winged creature is justifiable to miss"

"Oh I didn't mean to upset you but... how much did you hear."

"If your talking about the singing, the answer would be the entire sequence, but granted you do know how to carry your tune out at least".

Anna blushed, "um thank you"

"It was not much of a compliment, mainly and merely an observation stupid girl"

"Um, of course", suddenly the green eyed though an idea, "um Absolem...I was wondering if..."

But the insect interupted her, "number 1, stupid girl, do not use 'um' for the beginning of every sentence you speak, it is unneeded and unwanted, second, if you have something to say, then say it, do not just _wonder_, but completely understand what is about to come out of your mouth or it isn't worth speaking, do you understand ?"

"I do completely Absolum"

"Good, now is what you are about to request have anything to do with your feeling of imprisonment inside your own home ?"

"Yes, how did you know ?"

"Stay on topic, what is it you need from me ?"

**(A gift to you Day Dreamer201, great song choice, and I added Absolem in their, even to a child, he's still strict, but he has a good heart, he's willing to listen... if you talk properly that it, oh well, and yeah, apparently Anna can play the piano, don't worry that'll come back later, and it looks like she's found her ticket to freedom, if anyone can do it, it's Absolem oh and SWEENEY TODD AND MUSIC IS NOT MINE, next chapter by Thursday)**


End file.
